This specification relates to control systems.
Minimally invasive medical techniques are aimed at reducing the amount of extraneous tissue that is damaged during diagnostic or surgical procedures, thereby reducing patient recovery time, discomfort, and harmful side effects. Millions of surgeries are performed each year in the United States. Many of these surgeries can potentially be performed in a minimally invasive manner.
Minimally invasive systems for use in surgery can be teleoperated, robotic, or both teleoperated and robotic. Teleoperated refers to acting at a distance to control a machine. In a teleoperated surgical system, the surgeon uses a controller to control a surgical instrument inserted into a body cavity rather than directly holding and moving the instrument by hand.